Printing device



March 7, 1933. E F. RICHTER PRINTING DEVICE Filed March 1, 1950 flu 1 Z I. I m .LJ 5 l W m M A W m fin m. a 0 ME a W m ,Qm M J m n E H m 2% Jig m m@ H w J 3 1 M m u m z w a. ,2 m w. mWT 5%; J w a m cm r H 1 mm a i l, r A a K M J w 4w fl Patented Mar. 7, 1933 uNrrEnl STATES PATENT OFFICE ELMER 1 RICHTER, OF PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T ADDRESSOGRAPH COMPANY, OF WILMINGTON, DELAWARE,.A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE IPRIN'TIIN'G DEVICE Application filed March 1,

This invention relatesto printing devices which are stored in accordance with a card index system and are adapted to be run through anaddressing or other machine for 5 printing, and more particularly to that class of printing devices which comprises a frame having suitable retaining means and aprinting plate having type'characters embossed thereon and detachably engaged with said, re- '10 taining means. The type characters appear in relief and in reverse reading order on the front of the plate, and inintaglio in correct reading order on the back of the plate. The plate is inserted in the retaining means on the frame with its front exposed and its back facing the body of the, frame. Since the printing characters on the plate are only exposed-in reverse reading order they are not easily readand it has been the practice to provide a card which carries an imprintof the type form on the plate, or a part of it, and is detachably engaged with retaining means on the frame above the printing plate Where it can be easily read in accordancewith a card index system. But it is often desired to provide the printing plate with a printing form consisting of more than an address and this printing form may run to a number of lines in addition to the address, the additional lines being disposed in a manner designed to print on notices, bills, or other articles in a predetermined arrangement. If the card were made of a size to receive a full impression from the printing form on the plate a frame correspondingly larger would be required and this would-make a printing device of an unusual size which would not be adapted for the filing cabinets and machines now used in connection with such printing devices. Consequently it has been the practice to provide a card smaller than the printing plate andadapted to receive an impression of only a part of the printing form on the plate. Such a card limits the classification of the device to the information disclosed by the card, whereas it may be important to classify the device according to other information on the plate.

My invention has for its object-to enable the use of the printing'frame and plate and 1930. Serial No. 432,483.

card in the usual manner hereinbefore described and also to enable the printing plate to'be read on the intaglio side, the type characters being in correct reading order at the back of the device.

My invention has the further advantage of enabling a printing device to be stored with the face of the plate and the card in front, or with the backof the plate and the back of the frame in front so that the device may be classified according to the information ap-' pearing on the card or according to other information appearing on the plate. In the accompanying drawing, I have shown the invention in a selected embodiment and, referring thereto, Fig. 1 is a front view of a printing device, Fig. 2 is aback view of a printing device, Fig. 3 is a front view of the frame of the printing device; and i Fig. 4' is a sectional View on the. line 4-4 of Fig. 1. v V Referring to the drawinggthe frame 5 is made of relatively thin sheet metal and it is provided with a top bead 7 and a bottom 7 bead 12. The printing plate 10 is also made of sheet metal and it has a plurality. of lines of type characters embossed in relief on the front thereof, Fig. 1. This plate is removably'lield in place on the frame by retaining means oomprisingthe bead 12, end stops 13. and lips 14 which overhang projections 19 on the top edge of the plate. A wedge projection-20 onthe top edge of the plate between the projections 19 is arranged to engage a holding device 22 on the frame with a wedging action to hold the plate in the retaining devices and in substantially fixed position on the frame. The projections and the wedge projection on the plate are so positioned relative to the lips 14 and the holder 22 that when the lower edge of theplate is inserted. inthe bed 12 the upper-edge of the plate willclear the lips and bolder sothatthe back of the plate may flatly engage the front of the frame with the projections 19 between the holder and the lips 14. 'The plate may then be slid endwise to engage the projections 19 with the lips Hand. the wedge projection 20 with the holder 22, Fig; 1. To 1 remove the plate from the frame the right or left end of the frame is sprung or bent back slightly until the end of the plate clears the stops 13 whereupon the plate may be moved endwise over the sprung end of the frame until the projections 19 register with the spaces between the holder 22 and the lips 14 after which the upper edge of the plate may be tilted forward slightly and the plate removed by lifting it out of the bead 12. In order that the printing characters may be read at the back or intaglio side of the plate when the plate is mounted in the frame the body of the frame is cut out to provide an opening 21 of sufficient size to disclose there through all of the type characters on the plate, or as many lines or parts thereof as may be desired. The frame shown in Fig. 2 has a large opening through which all of the printing characters on the plate are visible at the back of the printing device in intaglio and in correct reading order so that they can be easily read. The marginal edge of the opening should overlap the plate preferably at the top, bottom and sides to form a substantial support for the plate when it is mounted in the frame. The ends of the opening approach closely the spacing flanges 15 which are provided on the back of the frame to space the printing devices one from another in a drawer or in a stack to protect the faces of the printing characters. The opening and the top and bottom beads 7 and 12 are about the same length and the end portions of the frame are readily yieldable with respect to the rest of the frame so that either end of the frame may be easily bent back sufficiently to clear the stops 13 and permit removal of the plate from the frame as heretofore described. The'bending of the flanged end portion of the frame to clear the stops from the end of the plate is facilitated by the opening in the frame which permits the ends of one or more fingers to press forward on the back of the plate while the thumb is pressing backward on the end of the frame thereby, by combined action, clearing the stops from the end of the plate. While this operation is being performed'by the thumb and fingers of one hand the thumb and fingers of the other hand may be pressing on opposite sides of the plate at the other end thereof and sliding the plate endwise to removal position. It is not necessary under any conditions to bend the end of the frame sufliciently to permanently distort it because very little bending is required under any circumstances and when pressure is ap plied to the plate at the same time that pressure is applied to the end of the frame, as described, there is sucha small degree of bending of the frame that it is negligible so far as possible damage to the frame is concerned. A card 9 is adapted to be removably engaged with the top bead 7 ,end stops 13,

lips 6 and the holder 22 which form retain ing devices and hold the card on the frame. To remove the card the frame is sprung or bent at one end, as previously described, and then the card is moved endwise until it has cleared the retaining devices. 7

The invention makes it possible to use the printing device in the manner which has been customary hereto-fore with the card disclosing an impression sufficient at least for classification purposes and so that it can be easily read in a storage drawer with the type face of the plate at the front of the device, as shown in Fig. 1. It alSO enables the printing device to be stored in reverse position with the back of the frame at the front so that the printing characters on the printing plate, in Whole or in part, may be read in intaglio but in correct reading order through the opening in the body of the frame. For example, for alphabetical classification, the printing device may be arranged with an index tab as shown in Fig. 1, and for monthly classification the printing device may be arranged with a tab as shown in Fig. 2. These classifications are to be understood only as illustrative examples. The opening 21 not only provides a sight for the intaglio side of the printing plate, but it serves to lighten the frame and the printing device without Weakening it for general use. This is especially desirable in large lists where weight is a matter of importance. And the opening also presents the advantage of enabling the operator to continue his hold upon the plate throughout the insertion and removal operation and additionally facilitates these operations.

1 have shown the invention embodied in a frame with a card, but the card and the I provision therefor may be omitted and other changes may be made to adapt the invention for different printing devices and for different uses or otherwise within the scope of the following claim: 7

I claim:

In a printing device which has a frame having a plurality of end stops spaced apart and stamped'up from the frame in substan- I tially vertical alinement adjacent theends of the frame, a bead along the lower edge of the frame, retaining lips struck up from the frame and spaced from and disposed opposite said head, and a holding device intermediate the retaining lips, said frame having an opening therein withthe edges thereof spaced inwardly from said end stops, retaining lips, and bead and facilitating springing of the frame, the combination of a printing plate having printing characters embossed in relief on one face thereof and appearing in intaglio on the opposite face, and a wedge projection on one edge of said printing plate and adapted to be engaged with said holding device and said retaining lips when the other edges of said plate are engaged with said bead and said end stops, the opening in said frame disclosing the intaglio faces of said type characters to facilitate reading thereof and affording access to said plate whereby said plate may be grasped on opposite faces thereof to facilitate sliding of the plate along the frame when the frame is sprung to clear the end stops from an edge of the plate whereby the plate may be removed from the frame after limited movement of the plate disengaging the wedge projection thereon from the holding device and retaining lips.

ELMER F. RICHTER. 

